Turning prisons into schools: John L. at TEDxMonroeCorrectionalComplex
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 เม.ย. 2014
- Amidst high incarceration and recidivism rates, John believes we can do better. His vision for transforming prisons into schools will challenge and inspire.
Bio: John's mother and father would say he was a good kid. His siblings would affirm he's a great brother. His friends would declare he's loyal to a fault. Those who don't know him mention that he's deeply flawed, but those who know him well attest his flaws are outweighed by the depth of his character. He would say he's all of the above and so much more.
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I spent 17 years in prison. Got a BS in Accounting. Got out, and nobody would hire me. But I'm not going back. It's been 13 years, and I'm not going back. Education cannot be overlooked, but opportunities is also key.
Create your own job.
Learn quick books computer program
Absolutely , i have never understood why we, remove the fundamental rights of free American citizens for convicted ones. You go to prison because of your crime but when you are released and back in society you should have the same rights as anyone else you still are an American citizen, but we remove there right to vote in elections, you have to disclose your a previous convict when you apply for jobs. That should not be needed after not having any convictions after 3 years and why are not every record’s sealed after 3 years for the public (Not to the police and justice system of course) so that the persons then dont have to say there previously been convicted. After they have served there time, the crime punishment should not follow them the rest of there life, thats setting them up to failure and thats not going to help the society, we need to accept them back after they have been rehabilitated otherwise they will resent there community and continue to spread crime because its there only way to survive.
I'm literally doing the same thing right now. Spent 10 years in prison, decided to move away and leave everyone in my life because I figured a fresh start would be beneficial. After moving, I tried working as a labourer installing fences, and decided that I was at the bottom end of the totem pole and advancement would be very difficult, and given that I always got exceptional marks in school before I became involved with gangs and drug trafficking, I decided maybe goint to school and learning a skill would be the best option. Given that my dad was an accountant and I've always enjoyed numbers and business combined with the fact that a BBA may provide thhe opportunity to create my own job. I'm now about 6 credits away from graduating and will complete school this year, and am very worried that I will not be able to find employment after, but for this reasoning I'm trying to learn more about taxation, valuation of stocks and equities, so that I may be able to create my own job. Hopefully it works out, but I won't go back to jail.
I wonder if you can open a business center; doing taxes, being a notary, advising people on tax shelters, etc. I know capital is hard to come by, but perhaps you can start small.
One of the most beautiful and thought provoking talks I've seen.
Diddo
That is one of the most powerful speeches I have ever seen or heard.
We need to rally all citizens behind this goal. It's hard to convince the "general public" who think that prisoners "have it easy". Everyone needs to subscribe to Prison Legal News (started by Paul Wright while he was incarcerated in a Washington State prison 25 years ago). People need to know what's really happening in prisons. As an official visitor in my state, I've gotten to know a lot of prisoners - especially the mental health guys who have been warehoused in prisons for being mentally disturbed, even mentally challenged! - and it' a real tragedy 'cause they haven't been getting help they need. I love and respect these kids and they've grown to respect me, too. I'm "old" and a lot of them call me "Gramma" because they have no families who give them moral support. Keep up the good work John L.! We'll prevail! We'll prevail! We MUST prevail!
I often think about this very thing. Our education system does not prepare children for peaceful society. If every child knew true life skills that help them live abundant and effective lives they could break the chains of incarceration. Instead of teaching boring history facts and other test facts that no one is excited to learn I feel everyone should learn Steven Covey, Tony Robbins, Marshall Rosenberg, Wayne Dyer, meditation, self understanding, mental thoughts and choice, how to grow healthy food, communicate and then also learn a career they love to do and we will have no need for prisons at all. We are failing our children, they should not be punished for our educational failings.
This is why i am grateful to live in Norway, not only do we have a
working prison system based on rehabilitating. We also (at least where i
live), have understanding teachers, they build the system around us,
not building us around the system. We, the pupils, have a lot to say
when it comes to how the school is run. We can complain to the "state"
and we will get things done, recently, we got 3 teachers and one of the
managers fired, because they didn't care about the pupils. And were
treating us like prisoners...
I’ve been thinking about moving to Scandinavia/Northern Europe for while now after I finish an education. They solved a lot of the problems the US still deals with and perpetuates.
Very intelligent young brother. I wonder if he's out and doing well.
By far one of the best TED Talks I've ever seen! This talk is well written and brilliantly delivered. "Somehow we've become so fixated on punishment, we miss the whole point." Thank you John L. I pray that your vision becomes a reality. As a public speaker you have provoked me to cultivate my craft like never before.
I have never thought that crime was just a symptom of a society rather than a problem. It seems to me a good reasoning
Excellent. I'm writing about this in my class and it has brought up several good points.
Same, I got a couple good points now on why they should have schools in prisons
He is an amazing speaker, one of the best I've seen. So many good thoughts, makes me wish there were more powerful people like him out there who know what is right and what to do.
Problem is no one care unless you are personally effected.
If you're in the u.s. and you don't know anyone who has gotten in some trouble because of the opioid epidemic you should consider yourself lucky. Today l feel these issues touch all of us...
I 100 percent agree. NY needs that kind of change
I would love for him to come here in Monterey California and speak to some of the youths and children in middle and high schools. He's a great role model. I'm willing to pay him.
Well said, John L. And kudos to Mrs.Alice.
yesssssssssssssssss YESSS oh my god yes. BRILLIANT talk!
Wow that is a really great piece. I can believe that the prisoner loses faith that they can change, if they are given a better opportunity in learning what they want in life, because it comes from their heart, then they can go back into the community with a better mind and attitude.
This i true, but unfortunately I don't know anyone I was in prison with who has meaningfully changed their lives. I spent 10 years inside, doing two 5 year sentences with the second one about a year after the first one. While inside for the second sentence, I was continually trafficking while inside, ended up overdosing on the product as I had it "inside me" in an unsafe manner, and received an additional 2 years for that. Prison is not meant to change people, but simply warehouse them. When I got released from the second sentence, I still didn't know what to do as the issues for my incarceration still weren't addressed (namely drug addiction which was a primary factor in my decision to traffic drugs, but initially when I had joined a gang and started selling drugs at 13, it was largely due to poverty and family problems). After my second release, I tried to switch tactics and began engaging in prostitution, which was largely a crime of opportunity at the time as I found out some of my old customers were now supporting themselves in this way, and the field came with the requirement of a "pimp" or basically a manager, which are generally abusive and controlling. I came with the passive approach of treating it as a business, took these women under my wing, and for the next year that was the business I was engaged in. Unfortunately, these women generally have crippling drug addictions which is usually the primary reason they enter this business, so along with their addictions my addictions grew as well. One day I looked around, assessed my life, and decided I really didn't want to live that way. I would spend days on end using drugs and waiting for sales so we could use more drugs, and just thought that was no way for a human to live for the rest of their life. I moved as far as I could to the opposite end of the country, and eventually began school, but maintained the same phone number and would occasionally get calls from old so called "friends", but they were generally dumbfounded in why I had chosen to move away, how I was making money to survive (at this point, I was basically surviving off student loans, so about 80-100 dollars a month for food, 40-50 for weed, and 50 for my phone. They couldn't understand the prospect of spending money to learn in the hopes of enjoying a greater salary later, and any phone calls would just inspire doubt for me about the decisions I had made. Overtime though, the calls stopped as they realized I wasn't going to be engaging in criminal activities any more so would not be of any help to them. Unfortunately though, I have not reached success myself yet, and I'm very concerned about finding a job in the future, and the thought still occasionally creeps into my mind of just returning to jail...
Wow. This was brilliant!
I very strongly agree John L. Thank you so much. Keep planting those seeds, keep telling people your ideas. I believe the change you're looking for is coming.
Thank you for teaching
Yes Lord!! Thank you 🙏 Hod Bless!!
Beautiful, Amen
It's nothing new although I find it great that he is addressing the prison system in which needs to change
I love this, my TEDx talk was about gardening lowering recidivism ...Title .Shyer Maguire "Can sustainable gardening lower juvenile reoffend rates" John L. should be the US ATTY GENERAL
The State of Colorado does something Similar And it has been a help.. but still more needs to be done to educate and teach prisoners the tools and skills they need to re integrate them back into societie before release..
Thank you so much for this talk!!! Great message and great points.
I like how you said BALANCE OUT education and punishment. And not go from one extreme to the other. Not to be forced or coerced, amen. Just for those who want to better themselves.
Brilliant talk!
awesome. Great speech man!! ^^
such a powerful message!!
Rachel1390 This is John l..
just wanted to say thank you for viewing my speech and for your encouraging words
@@johnmoseswashingtonlathon766 johnmoses, I'm so worried for my son in prison. 💔
Take it from someone who has been in prison. If you go to prison for something small like me you do 6-12 months. You're not there long enough to learn a trade. You're not there long enough to get into a drug treatment program. You're there long enough to meet a bunch of other criminals and learn new contacts and new tricks! It's true, I'm sorry. You shouldn't be there at all. If you do something so petty that you get time out for a few months you shouldn't be in prison with people who are there for much more serious things. Prisons should be able to teach us a trade or help us get into college and relearn how to live. If i come out of prison with a degree or certificate showing that i have the knowledge to be someone who's better than the person i was when i got there. If i know how to do something that will pay me as much or more than I made as a criminal then i really have a chance. The thing is. I never got that chance and it's much harder to find those resources once you're out. If you get that chance you'd better take it!
The prison he is imagining, does in fact ecist... Its called Bastoy prison, and its located in Norway.
Not in America :/
Andy91 he is talking to the US
*exist......moron.
@@Anonymous-wb3nz Jeg er norsk, Engelsk er ikke mitt morsmål...
Google it.
Absolutely inspirational!
I love this
36,000 people watched it but why only 794 likes only,
I am with him I want to change our future.
Brilliant. Reverse the School-to-Prison Pipeline. Count me in!
Inspiring! Great job!
This talk will stay with me for the rest of my life
eye opening
This speech was so beautiful that I cried at the end of the speech.
Very well said
Jewel Guy This is John l..
just wanted to say thank you for viewing my speech and for your encouraging words
The only problem is, schools are still a type of prison... Your child goes to school, to be trained to obey the system. If they ask questions or want to be different, laws are put in place to stop them doing this. Around 80% of crimes are not hurtful crimes at all. Just ways to make the government more money. The modern system we have today, is no better then a slave system of yesterday. If we need change, it needs to start in our schools. To let children think, not to be taught not to question the system, that we already have in place today.
XD wel wel now! lets just change the names then ... and leave everything as is, this is what is proven to work after all. Redefining ....
Kirk Martin I'm a teacher from switzerland. And you're right....!
madmanzila
You ever done time?
Kirk Martin Excellent commentary Kirk.
As a former teacher who spent years in prison as a tutor, I agree that education is key. There is a relatively small population of inmates who take school and change seriously, and for them, so much more could be done. But the premise of “changing prisons into schools” is flawed. It wouldn’t work for a large portion of inmate population. If we use “schools” in a broader sense- training for SOMETHING- then I see more promise. I saw guys who couldn’t stand a classroom learn how compassion and responsibility by being a dog handler. There are ways to help people change.
But then we unfortunately look to those who head corrections. Most of them are bullheaded and see prisons as punishment only. By and large, the term “corrections” is just a euphemism-pivot from “penitentiary.” But in my experience, the only “correction” that happened was on the voluntary will of the inmate. For some that was in school. For others it was church. But far too many it was still just a playground.
I am totally on board with changing a broken system. Recidivism rates highlight the failings of the current paradigm. But we have to approach it with realism bc ivory tower ideas will die in some committee that none of us is allowed in.
Remember, sticking up for inmates isn’t popular. (Look st how many inmates are dying from Covid and it doesn’t even make the news. Too few care. Same with the food inmates eat or the treatment by some guards ). And it surely won’t garner a politician many votes, so legislative action is a challenge.
It will take creativity, shrewd marketing (ie cost saving measures), and DATA to begin to make change. Finally, remember our system is a colossal failure in comparison to other first world countries’ methods, yet good ol American arrogance refuses to acknowledge the facts. Watch the 60 Minutes episode with the head of the PA Dept of Corrections touring German prisons and comparing them. What a fatalist he was. That’s what we are dealing with.
But love this guy’s passion. Put him in a room with a few state heads of corrections and let’s have some dialogue. That’s how change will begin. Identify state best practices for instance. Look at their damn budgets! I think PA’s annual correction budget is TWO BILLION!!!! No typo. We can better spend that money and actually see a DECREASE in pop. (Oh yeah, and desperate parole and probation changes are necessary. But look at the legislation actions to see what happens there. Nada. Legislators are afraid their competitors will use their inmate-friendly (read: just) votes will be used against them in future elections. The political system is so sad.
Three encores of 'Oh Sonny Boy' backed only by accordion
that sound so good, but tell that to shareholders, and see what reaction you get..
Awesome
I was searching for a related TED Talk given by a man who went from incarcerated crackhead to PhD in psychology. Can anyone post a link to that Talk?
Does anyone know any organizations or anything that can help me get some thing like this started in my area?
i love you john
Very powerful speech. The system needs to change completely and society needs to as well. Companies with policies that prevent people from getting a job they could be fully qualified to do and could succeed in the company should be allowed to work. I'm facing my first real offence charges and yet all I see should i get convicted is a life of constant punishment. That society pretty much has spoken and judged me for something I didn't know about since i knew I followed the instructions i was given by a law enforcement detective over a year ago. I did every to follow the rules, change, and not have this happen yet it has. Now I face charges and am treated like I'm already convicted. Where I could have all the qualifications for a job and the company really would want me. Yet my background check shows my charges and will never let me be hired. That for the rest of my life if convicted, I'll either be still delivering pizzas, going thru temp agencies that pay day by day, or I'll end up being so beaten down that I'll just follow majority rules. It was torture the three days I spent in jail and was processed. Humiliating getting taken out in handcuffs from my job I've been at for over 5 years and told I'm on unpaid leave cause of it till I'm either convicted then they can legally fire me or I'm found innocent like many of my family believe I am. Then I can maybe go back to work. Yet everything I see and read should I get convicted pretty much has shown me for my charges. There is no real chance to reintegrate back into society, no hope for forgiveness should I serve my time even as a first offense, and the complete terror of people literally out to end me because I live in a home i worked hard to get. I'll be cast out and made to suffer forever because the legal system is so screwed up that it won't ever let me truly show I've changed. That I am not a bad person and didn't know about what I'm being charged with since I made sure to do as I was told by a detective over a year ago to follow his instructions that I did for months. I wanted to be absolutely sure I would stay free and follow the law yet this happened now. It's cost me so much and I'm still hanging in there like so many tell me yet everything I see as well as read shows me how I'll truly end up suffering forever should I get convicted. Every day I pray for the best but prepare for the worst like my mom said. It's broken me down so much that it took weeks till I was able to sleep soundly thru the night without the fear that sirens I heard weren't police coming for me or a bang on my house wasn't someone trying to come end me cause they saw what the media said about me without knowing the whole truth nor before my trial. I've been sorry I exist, sorry to my family, sorry I am not that smart to have been able to know how this happened, and sorry for my past that I've been trying every day to change into a better person than I was with hard work as well as a warm smile to all who talk to me. To be a person worthy of reintegration into society yet all I see for anyone with my charges, all I will get is punished forever, and a permanent label to my name where I'll never be able to be happy again with a future of a family. I'll just end up either homeless, always struggling to get work, or gone whether by my own hand or someone else's.
🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯
👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾
But it's a business and Uncle Sam can't give up the kickbacks.
Free education, rent, food, and utilities if you break the law. Sweet!
you never j walked b4 ?? never went over the speed limit ?? interesting
didn't most prisons in America have educational programs ..I know the juvenile detention center have classes in them... right
+savoy styles Hi. The crime bill signed Bill Clinton in 1994 prohibited inmates from receiving Pell grant. As a result more than 70% of penal institutions no longer offered college courses to inmates. Ironically, those states have higher incarceration and recidivism rates.
+Monekka Munroe yes he did that to fund the section 8 programs and child day care for single mothers..also it freed up money for single mothers to get funding for college ..people with felonies can't vote ..they have no value to a politician
+savoy styles Funding for single parent to attend college? I think we may be talking about different bills. The 1994 Violent Crime and Control Act wasn't signed to help single mothers at all. In fact, before that bill was signed and the inmates were able to receive Pell grants, there was still money left over that wasn't used by college students. That shows just how much money is available for students to attend college in the United States. The reason I am familiar with the studies/research is because prison education is the topic of my disseration; I think I've read so many studies about this subject that I can write a book about it. I may do just that after I graduate with my doctorate degree.
+Monekka Munroe when every you fund a new bill with new programs they usually cut a few other programs ...so basically a person with a felony conviction can't get a Pell Grant even when out of prison ..Bill Clinton pass that bill after the LA riot's if I remember correctly .
+savoy styles The last LA Riot happened in 1992, the bill was signed in 1994. Felons can receive Pell grants. The question on the application asks if the individual was convicted of any drug charges while receiving federal financial aid. If so, they cannot receive aid for one year. But most felons have never attended college, so that doesn't apply to them, thus making them eligible for financial aid. It is very strange however, that the question only applies to drug offenses but not murders, child molesters, humand traffickers, etc.
yes yes yes 1000 times yes. I can't convey how hyped the idea of allowing people to "graduate back into society" gets me
Great public speaker. However: having a felony can seriously prevent a recently released individuals from gaining decent employment.
We remove the fundamental rights of American citizens when the are convicted of a crime and the have to carry that with them for the rest of there lifes, even after they have served there time and punishment, thats not right. After your time you should get your fundamental American citizens rights back. Like the possibility to vote and not have to disclose ones criminal history after 3 years of not having any new convictions.
Prison sounds like the outside.
This is a wonderful idea truly it is but in real life it would never happen, there is way to much money being made to "house" inmates and nothing else.but if this idea did see light of day it would be a heaven sent thing I'm 100% sure of it.
That is just a product of our society and its choice to privatize prisons, buy back prisons and start the reform. Prisons should not be a for profit businesses model.
I like what he is saying, but prisoners are in prison to pay their debt to society for breaking the law. I think prison sentences should be divided in half. half of the time is hard manual work, the other half is this "school". Additionally, if you don't want to be marginalized as an "ex-con" dont break the law.
While education prisoners is a great idea, unfortunately people might start committing crimes to get free education
Is he still in prison?
Unfortunately, he is, this is 2018 and he is up for parole this year. I pray that God will bless him to come home. (his mother)
Nick D This is John L. To answer your question, I was recently released from incarceration😃 Thanks for asking👊🏾
Let's us take God's creation & make it into God's masterpiece. He's counting on us!!
For those who want to learn its fine. But sorry to say I've worked with some who dont want to learn
Then there are other things that need to be addressed for that individual, maybe mental health, anger issues, individual self esteem for education, that they can or other things. Everyone will want to learn eventually after other issues are addressed.
of course some wont want to learn they will believe that there is no incentive. You have to convince them.
You could start with the incentive of getting out of prison eventually, then proceed to more intrinsic incentives.
OH, my bad I thought this video was about turning schools into prisons.
I leave this site now.
No prisons to schools.
Education [programs] in and of itself does not reduce recidivism. IM John L., while sincere and polished, is not persuading a critical audience.
Statistics say otherwise en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastøy_Prison
+alexander smith But Wiki is not a credible source. Note that family/support systems outside the facility in addition to education and also the ability to work are the primary factors that reduce recidivism. Additionally Ireland juvenile deviants is not a comparable variable to violent offenders. The metrics are significantly different. Continue to work together to end the cycle of recidivism.
+Aaron Penn Hello Mr. Penn. There are several studies that have shown that providing post secondary education opportunities to inmates does in fact reduce recidivism rates. A great study by the Rand Corporation published in 2013 is one source of research that discuss this topic.
Monekka Munroe But not in and of itself, as I stated. RAND corp publishes thousands of articles - a study alone proves little to influence policy... If you feel confident in your argument, take it to your congress person. Or run for office and write the bill. But educating former inmates still wont prevent recidivism as much as a family support system and it will take generational change to truly influence this (and a time machine repealing AEDPA, thanks Bill C). I think the inmate is arguing a subjective point, that HE wants to be educated. That is a good thing. But corrections budgets are not increasing to educate correctional clients - the reality is that tax payers just do not fully understand the issue well enough to vote with their dollars. Peas and lava :)
+Aaron Penn I am currently working with state legislators regarding this issue. I only mentioned the Rand study because it's one that most legislators are using to show why education should be provided to the prisoners in the state where I reside. I'm also a criminal justice professor, so I'm very familiar with the subject, the pros and cons. However, I also enjoy intellectual conversations with others about this topic.
Sounds good in theory. Who would teach at this school? How much would they make? Will it be worth the risk? How much do we the tax payers have to pay? Are the class rooms going to be segregated? One of the bigger problems is that usually people group up together and build little gangs in schools, especially in inner city schools like the one I went to. You would think everyone would have an interest in learning things and bettering themselves but some of our instructors would rather watch television in class and befriend the students rather than enforce rules. In result these instructors favored students for different reasons, sometimes by race, sometimes by gender, sometimes by bribes. So then what do you do to replace instructors? Online courses? A lot of online courses give online tests and anyone who is a little studied in technology and computers knows you can Google paste your questions online for just about any question and get the answer. Besides those questions how do you determine which prisoner get what benefits? For example let's say some guy rapes women and children is he going to be in the same room as the guy who sold pot who is sitting next to the investment banker who invented bitcoin? Because there are a lot of smart prisoners out there who would totally pass those classes get out and find another scheme to make fast money. The more I think about this the more questions keep coming up. How are these classes going to help them with their problems? Do we need psychiatrists to diagnose these guys to determine how to help them? How much is that going to cost? I'm asking not because I don't want to help them but because I might have to commit some crime just to afford this new law in addition to the "affordable health care plan" and all these other things we have to pay for. The more I live in this country the more like a prisoner I already feel.
I would be happy to teach and work to find others to teach in schools in our free time. I should. Thanks for the idea :)
You're welcome. Thanks for trying to help. I wish you good luck.
My understanding is that school is not an idealistic place anymore. It is a place where difficult things get done. If these people are to be rehabilitated into society, maybe they do need some support in that area.
It's worth a try
I've said this myself. Yet people don't believe other things I say. How do regain trust believed about own thoughts get help for Brainwash fear confused no books on that. Only addiction. Why don't have offenders write own restoration justice plan in addition to sentence judge may think important to dry out a person to think about. Reoffending is reoffending on people like you. And giving people another chance In Jobs. Maybe add to record completeled a changed person program. In prison. Or have them on outside. Push people back into same rhing
We have already provided schools. Is þere no end to taxing workers for criminals?
Mrs Alice clearly didnt get through to this guy if he STILL ended up spending life in prison , just saying
This actually looks quite fake, seriously.